SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - In tracking down illegal weapons, the smoking gun may not be a gun at all.

Bullets are one thing Sacramento Police Detective Greg Halstead can count on to root out weapons that otherwise would be impossible to find. They are also largely missing from the gun control debate in Washington.

Since 2008, California's capital has required ammunition dealers to take names and thumbprints of bullet buyers. They send the information electronically to police computers, which compare the names to an FBI criminal database.

Halstead begins his day looking at a list of buyers, picking out the ones who aren't supposed to own ammunition - or guns. The thumbprint left by each prohibited buyer is nearly perfect evidence of crime.

"The ammunition case is a slam-dunk solid," said Halstead, who regularly turns up illegal guns at homes he otherwise would have no reason to search. Some 154 felony convictions and 92 misdemeanor convictions have resulted so far.

Well, there’s an admission that California is keeping a database of ammunition buyers. Any surprise that gun rights groups would be adamantly against universal background checks being proposed by the Obama administration?

Exactly! When somebody murders another person with a hammer, they always leave out the nails. When they kill someone with a baseball bat, they always leave out the baseballs. We need to start tracking hammer and baseball bat owners by checking into who is buying nails and baseballs.

4
posted on 01/20/2013 7:59:34 AM PST
by FlingWingFlyer
(HealthCare IS NOT a right. The RIGHT to keep and bear arms is.)

OK, have no problem with the 143 felony convictions. Felons are not allowed to own weapons. BUT, that is a really small number for a state like CA for a 4 year time span. And what were the 92 misdemeanor convictions? Somehow I am not impressed. And remember this is from Reuters. (anti gun bias)

There was a time when a man could go into any hardware store and buy four cartridges to go deer hunting. Then the 1968 Gun Control Act required record keeping of all ammo sold, so hardware stores began to require you to buy a full box.

You also could not buy handguns, rifles or shotguns across state lines.

Then in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan signed a new law that did away with the record keeping of ammo, and allowed you to buy rifles and shotguns only across state lines.

"The ammunition case is a slam-dunk solid," said Halstead, who regularly turns up illegal guns at homes he otherwise would have no reason to search. Some 154 felony convictions and 92 misdemeanor convictions have resulted so far.

I can't tell for certain if the claim is that the thumbprint at purchase requirement has resulted in the 246 convictions. One suspects some Clintonian parsing here.

Years ago I used to reload bullets I dug out from an old military shooting range backstop. Many were still in good shape, only having rifling on them. Others were so damaged I melted them down and cast new bullets.

I still know where there are thousands of spent bullets in the ground. Then I also used lead lining from building insulation designed for noise suppression.

I have ammo in airtight boxes from 1970 that still works fine, besides if killing is the object, my prison career has taught me up close and personal with edged weapons is much easier and hard to track. They don't tell you the numbers of criminal that have been corrected by edged weapons in jails and prisons without finding the perpetrator, all they officially know is that they are contained in a certain area. FYI

I used this with him, and now my son-in-law is practicing for the time when he'll have to tell his 3 daughters' prospective dates "I ain't got no problem going back to prision....." [BTW, I am assuming you are/were a guard....ha ha]

(1) who has been convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;

(2) who is a fugitive from justice;

(3) who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)); ...

to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

A few points. The courts have ruled that ANY possession affects commerce, so a product that never leaves one state is still properly an object for federal prohibition; and all you pot smokers out there, who possess arms or ammo, you are committing a federal felony.

This I realize...and while it could save money, I’ve decided I have too doggone many interests that cost me a lot of money.....guns, bayonets, fighting knives....leather holster making, gunsmithing (e.g., rebuilding Garands and Carbines - upgrading 1911s, et al)....I just can’t afford another full setup of stuff (I’m somewhat OCD on this - whenever I start up with something, I get the best of everything I think I’ll need)....

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